Jalen Brunson critical of himself over 1 decision

Feb 3, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) reacts during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson hobbled through Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Indiana Pacers on Friday night, but wasn’t using that as an excuse following the 111-106 loss.

Despite dealing with a foot injury, Brunson toughed out the game, finishing with 26 points on 10-of-26 shooting. It was his lowest output of the playoffs and featured some less-than-stellar decision-making.

Trailing 109-106 with 16.4 seconds remaining, Brunson heaved up an off-balance prayer with three Pacers defenders draped all over him. The ball didn’t even reach the rim.

JALEN BRUNSON FOR THE WIN 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/hZ2wcQNQ4K

— BrickWrld (@BRICKW0RLD) May 11, 2024

A frustrated Brunson admitted after the game that he was hunting for a foul but acknowledged it was poor decision in the end — one that hurt the team.

“Not really,” Brunson said when asked if he liked the shot. “It’s a terrible decision and something I need to learn from. I knew the time, I knew everything that was going on, I just made a terrible decision.”

Accountability is a rare trait so Brunson deserves credit for that. He’s been superman throughout the playoffs and perhaps let that get to his head a bit in the closing moments.